Exercising ball and support therefor



April 8, 19.30;

EXERCISING BALL AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed Jan. 3, 1929 mllliilllllllllm i.

lH. o. COSTELLO 1,753,310

li'atelitcd` Apr. 8, 1930 `'PM13h11* 'OFFICE HENRY O. GOSTELLO,-OF IBOVIDEINCIE,v RHODE ISLAND EXERCISINGBAIAL lAND SUPPORT THEBEFOR p Application led January 3,1929. Serial No. 330,098.

' various s orts such asboxing, foot-ball, ten` nis,base all, soccer and the like.

'One object of the invention is to provide a novel device of this character which may be readily used either in a gymnasium or in the home and which does not require any expensive or cumbersome apparatus or accessories for its use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved device of this character which is very compact and may be readily folded into a smal package and 4carried in the pocket when not in use.v

Another object of the invention, is the provision of an improved means for supporting a ball from the head of the user in such a manner that it will be returned after being struck or thrown into position to enable the user to catch or again strike the ball and thus assist in training the eye to enable the user to more eicientl gauge the speed and direction of moving o jects.

Other objects and advantages of the invention relate to various improved details of construction and novel methods of' operation as will be more fullyset forth in the detailed description to follow. i

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device illustrating the position of the parts when in operative position upon the head of the user,

land showing the manner of operating theA same as a punching bag,

Fig. 2 is a pers ective view .of'another form of the device, ilustrating. the same as applied to the head of the user and employed as an exercising apparatus or training device for tennis players,

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken through the forward portion of the headband and ball supporting member, and showing the ball supporting member in its more ret'acted position relative tothe head-band, an v Fi 4 is a detail perspective view, similar 50 to F1g. 3, and showing the ball supporting member in a different adjusted position Y wherein the point of'attachment'of the elastic member to the ball supporting member is located at a of the user.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herewlth 1 designates generally a' strap or head-band which is adjustably secured to the head of the user as by a buckle 2, whereby 1t may be ad'usted in llength to conform to and 'lit closely a out the head of the user. Thel greater distance from the head strap or head-band 1 isprovided with va ball supporting member 3, which in the present instance is Pshown as a strip of fairly heavy leather or other similar material having its end portions 4 stitched or otherwise secured to the strap 1 as at 5 and 6, and provided with a central loop portion 8 which projects for- Wardly beyond the strap 1. Theloop portion 8 of the ball supporting member is shown as provided with an opening 9 to receive an elastic cord or other resilient member 10 which may be knotted or otherwise secured thereto as at 11 to prevent separation of the end ofthe' cord from the loop ortion 8.

An adjusting member 12 o; other suitable material is provided with spaced openings 13 Afor recelving opposite ends of the strap l, and portions of the adjusting member. 12 adjacent to each opening' 13,fare bent inwardly towards the head ofthe -user as at 14, to engage theouter surface of thin metal or the end portions 4 of the ball supporting memi ber whereby the loop portion 8 may be made of greater or less size as desired-in order to space the point of support for the elastic cord 10 a greater or less. distance from the head of the user asmay be desired. 'y

While I have shown the ball supporting member 3 as formed of leather or other' suit- :able material shaped in the form of a rela.-

tYively thin strap or plate and stitched or otherwise secured to' the strap 1, it is to be understood that this ball supporting member may vbe given any other suitable or desired form and may be of rigid or semi-rigid. construction, and may be formed of metal, wood, fibre, rubber or any other suitable and 'dei sired material, and may be secured or attached to the strap 1 in any suitable or desired mani 2 l 1,753,810 E ner so as to permit .of adjusting the point ofany suitable or desired resilient material; such support for tA ev elastic'cord relative to the as -al rubber strand, woven rubber cord or head of the user,'or the ball supporting memstrip, a coiledspring, or other suitable maber maybe so'formed as not to permit ad- 'teriaL By increasing or decreasing the 5 iustment of the: point of attachment of the vlength of the cord 10 'the ball may be caused =0 elasticcord'towards and from the head of the to return to the userwith greater or less user in cases where this adjustment is deemed 'rapidity as may be desired. unnecessary. TheV orm of device shown in Fig. 2 may be A relatively large iniiated ball 16 may be used as a `training 'apparatus for base-ball supported romthe elastic cord 10, as shown players in order that they ma acquire ron Fig. 1 of the drawings, when the devicev ciency in throwingand eatcliingI the all, is to be. used as a punching bag, the ball beand a similar form of the device, vwith a ing provided wlth an attaching member 17 larger ball, if desired, may be used in train'- for readil securing 1t tov the cord 10. AS ing foot-b' 11 or vsoccer players in throwing shown in 1 of the drawings, the ball 16 and receiving the ball.

maybe struc by the user to drive it forward' It will be seen that the device shown and ly to the limit of its movement as determined described providesv a novel form of punching by the elastic cord 10, from which position bag or exercising device, which is capable of it will 'be 1returned by the cord towards the use as a punching bag either in a gymnasium 20 face of the user and substantially along the orin an ordinary room, and .is adapted to .85 vline of vision of the user in position to be combine shadow boxing with exercise and again struck by the user. By supporting the training in punching the bag since the user ball from a4 point in front of and slightly may move about at will while using the appaabove the face oi the user the ball is always ratus. The device is alsoexcellent y adapted returned towards the face of the user and in for training the eye of the user inv accurate 9o a position' best adapted to train the eye of hitting since the ball as carried bythe user the user in strgking the ball atthe proper is capable of movingat other and different moment and t direct itpon the desired angles than the usual stationary punching course of travel from the ser. bag and thus requires accurate hitting to keep In the use of the apparatus as an exercising the Same inmetion. The device is well adapt- 95 f' or training meansl or tennis players or for ed also for training football,basketball,Socthrowin a ball and having the same return cer and hand-ball players for accuracy either tothe t rower, a smaller ball may be em-. in hitting or in catching the ball, since an elasployed such as the ball indicated by the nu tic cord of any suitable or desired length may '35 meral 18 in`Fig.l 2 of the drawings. ln this be usedv and the ball thrown as well as struck, loo case asin the form shown in Flg. 1 of the if desired, the cord' insuring the return of drawings, 13116' elastic 01 resilient COId 10 the ball t0 the user in each case, serves'to return the ball directly towards the What I claim is head o f the user fand into position to be 1. Adevice of the character described com- 4o caught or struck by the racquet 19 as may be prising a strap to be secured to the head of 105 deslred in the use of the device. the user and provided with a portion pro- It will be seen upon reference to Figs. 3 jecting outwardly from and in substantially and 4 of the drawings that the loop portion the same horizontalplane with the remain- 8 of the ball supporting member is capable ing portion of said strap, vand an inflated of adjustment to increase or decrease the disball elastically supported from the forward- 1.10

tance of the point of support of the cord 10 ly projecting portion of said strap. from the head of the 115er by pOSltlODing the 2. A device of the character described comadjusting member 12 at dlerentpolnts 0n prising a strap to be secured to the head of the ball Suportlng member. In Fig. 3 0f the the user, a, Supporting strip overlying apordrawingst to the strap 1, whereby the loop portion secured to said strap, a ball, and longitudi- 8 is made relatively small, while in Fig. 4 nally extensible elastic means for supportof the drawings, the adjusting member is ing said ball from a portion of said supportso positioned as to considerably increase the ing strip. l, size of the loop- 8 and position the point of 3. A device of the character described com-l 139 support for the cord 10 a considerably greater prising a strap to be secured to the head of distance from the head of the user. The loop the user, a iiexible supporting strip. having a is retained in its positionr of adjustment by portion overlying a portion of said strap and the inwardly bent portions 14 of the adjust-l secured thereto and a portion of said suping member engaging the outer surface of the porting strip overlying a lportion of said 115 end portions of the ball supporting memstrap but separable therefrom to permit acber to revent change in the sizeof the loop cess to that portion of the supporting strip 'when e device is secured to the head of the next adjacent to the outer surface of the strap, user in adjusted position. a longitudinally extensible elastic member The cord 10 may, of course, be formed of having one end thereof secured to that por- `135 eadjllsting member iS placed Close tion of'said strap and having parts thereof lltion of the supporting strip which is separable from a portion of said strap, and a ball secured to the opposite end of said longitudinally extensible elastic member and supported thereby.

4. In a device of the character described, a

strap to be secured about the head of thel above the efyes of the user and having a porv tion'thereo located in proximity to a part of said head-band for supporting a ball, a longitudinally extensible member having one end secured to said ball supporting strip, andan iniated ball secured to the oppositel end of said longitudinally extensible member and depending from said head-bandwhereby the ball upon being struck by the user will tend to move outwardly along a substantially straight path and will be returned directly towards the face of the user through longitudinal contraction of the longitudinally ex tensible member.

6. In an exercising device of the character described, a strap member adapted to be secured to the head of the user above the eyes of the user, a longitudinally extensible elastic member, means for, connecting the strap member with one end of the longitudinally extensible elastic member in such a manner that one end of said longitudinally extensible elastic member will be located in close proximity to said strap member, and an inated ball secured tb the opposite end of .said longitudinally extensible elastic member whereby when the inflated ball is struck by' the user the force exerted thereon is expended sub- 'stantially entirely in effecting longitudinal elongation of said elastic member and the contraction of said elastic member following such elongation tends-to return the inflated ball substantially toward the face of the user and along the line of sight of the user.

- 7 In a device of the character described, a exible head-band adapted to be secured to the head of the user, a longitudinally extensible elastic member, an inflated ball secured to one end of said longitudinally extensible elastic member, and means 'for securing the opposite end of said longitudinally extensible elasticl member substantially d1'- rectl to the said head-band at a point above and between the eyes of the user, whereby the ball upon being struck vby the user will move outwardly from the face of the user and be returned directly towardsthe face of the user and substantially along the line of vision of the 'user through longitudinal elongation and contraction of said longitudinally extensible elastic member.

In testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature. v

HENRY O, COSTELLO.

liu 

